Trump Slyly Confirmed Elon Musk's Fiery 'Love' For Him Weirds Out Melania

The friendship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk took another strange turn after the election when the pair appeared to become inseparable besties. Even though Donald hinted he was annoyed at Musk always being around, reports indicated that Melania Trump was fine with the bromance. "Melania is glad to have a babysitter for Donald," a source in Palm Beach told People in January when discussing Donald and Musk's friendship. "Melania is in good spirits and does her own thing, and is not bothered one way or the other by Musk hanging around," a second insider told the outlet. That of course was before Musk publicly declared his love for the Commander in Chief.

Amid rumblings that there could possibly be tension between Donald and Musk after the tech billionaire appeared on the cover of Time magazine (more on that later), Musk attempted to clear the air. "I love @realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter on February 7. Donald's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., found humor in the situation and quote-tweeted the post along with three laughing emoji. Meanwhile, some X users believed the two billionaires' relationship was blurring the lines between friendly and romantic. During a presser later that day, a reporter asked Donald how Melania felt about Musk's declaration. "Oh, I think she'll be okay with it, somehow," Trump slyly replied.

That wasn't the first time Musk used an L-bomb when describing his budding relationship with his political ally. "The more I've gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy. Frankly, I love him," he told a reporter on February 3 while standing next to Donald. There have, however, been signs that this love will not last. 

The online pronouncement of love for Donald Trump came the same day Elon Musk was featured on the cover of Time magazine. It was an incendiary photo that featured Musk sitting behind the desk of the Oval Office. Two months earlier, the outlet had named Trump its person of the year, and many believe the president may now feel that he's being overshadowed by his buddy. Trump did little to dispel that notion when he was asked during a press conference on February 7 if he had seen Time's new cover. "No ... Is Time magazine still in business? I didn't even know that," he dismissively replied. It was shortly before that comment made the rounds that Musk posted his "I love @realDonaldTrump" tweet.

That same day, a report from Vanity Fair gave some insight into the dynamic between the two men, as many had observed how Musk's power in the White House was growing. "Trump is the king on the chessboard and Elon is a bishop. Sometimes the bishop takes the lead," a Republican insider told the outlet. Meanwhile, another source said that Trump was treading carefully and it was possibly a frenemy situation. "How can he say no to Elon? You think he wants to go to war with him?" the second insider said.

In the days leading up to the Time cover, there had been signs that Trump was icing Musk out. When asked by reporters about Musk's possible overreach, the president made it clear who was calling the shots. "Elon can't do — and won't do — anything without our approval, and we'll give him the approval where appropriate," he said, per USA Today.